Vision-related quality of life in persons with unilateral branch retinal vein occlusion using the 25-item National Eye Institute Visual Function Questionnaire.

AIM: To evaluate vision-related quality of life in persons with branch retinal vein occlusion (BRVO) using the 25-item National Eye Institute Visual Function Questionnaire (NEI VFQ-25). DESIGN: Observational, cross-sectional, interviewer-administered study. METHODS: 46 patients with unilateral BRVO were included in this study. Scores on the VFQ-25 were analysed and converted to scaled scores per NEI VFQ-25 algorithms. Clinical data including age, gender, employment status, living arrangements, visual acuity, number of systemic diseases and duration of BRVO were also recorded. Subscale results were compared with previously published data, and subgroup analyses were performed. RESULTS: Mean adjusted subscale responses among BRVO patients were higher (except for ocular pain) than known averages in patients with diabetic retinopathy, central retinal vein occlusion, age-related macular degeneration and low vision, but lower than known averages in a reference group of people without ocular disease. Subscale responses correlated significantly with visual acuity in the involved eye. This observation held true in eight of 12 subscales, even in patients who maintained vision of 20/25 or better in the uninvolved eye. The General Health subscale and number of systemic diseases correlated significantly with both the General Vision and Peripheral Vision subscale scores. There was no correlation between subscale responses and age. CONCLUSIONS: BRVO is a retinal vascular disease that is associated with a decrease in vision-related quality of life as determined by the VFQ-25. A decrease in VFQ-25 score is correlated with involved eye visual acuity, even when good visual acuity is maintained in the uninvolved eye.

[An update on the treatment of central retinal vein thrombosis (retinal vein occlusion)]. / Actualitati în tratamentul trombozei de vena centrala a retinei (O.V.R.).

The paper reviews the actual therapeutical means in a severe invalid eye disease. The treatment is not able to improve the retinal blood flow, being more effective on the main symptoms and complications. The isovolumetric hemodilution method as an up-to-date method in the treatment of central retinal vein occlusion, appears to bring better recuperation hopes, by a higher improvement of the local anatomical and hemodynamical factors. That is the reason why we shall expose it widely in our paper. Unfortunately, despite its complexity, the treatment of central retinal vein occlusion is not satisfactory from the point of view of the high number of patients that remain with a low visual acuity. The main goal of the therapy is the recovery of visual function, but a few aspects and especially the late presentation for ophthalmological examination, reduce the objective of treatment to prevent complications.